Thackeray predicts BJP’s defeat in 2024, says sun even set on British empire

Shiv Sena (UBT) party president Uddhav Thackeray in his first podcast said that the year 2024 will be a turning point in the life of the country and every beginning has an end.

“British used to say sun never sets on their empire but there was sun set,” said Thackeray indicating the defeat of BJP in Lok Sabha elections.

Expressing confidence that his faction would get back the original name, Shiv Sena, after the Supreme Court verdict in the matter, the former chief minister said instead of plenty of traitors he would need a few honest people to revive the party.

Thackeray further compared the traitors to crabs who never allowed their own colleagues to go up. “The MVA (Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi) government was not swept away in the rain, but those crabs broke the dam (government).”

“Since many have left the party, new and young workers will get a chance in elections and party organisation,” he added.

On Wednesday, the first part of his interview with MP Sanjay Raut on the party’s official podcast YouTube channel ‘Awaj Kunacha’ was released while the second part will be released on Thursday.

Taking potshots at the Eknath Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis-Ajit Pawar alliance, the Sena (UBT) chief said it is not a triple engine government, but a Dalda (a vegetable oil) can.

He targeted the BJP for its double standards. “While defending the split in Shiv Sena their leaders claimed it was kutniti (realpolitik) to teach him (Thackeray) a lesson for betraying them and formed the MVA government. Then what about the split in NCP? There was no question of NCP betraying BJP as both were not in alliance. Then why did BJP include some leaders of NCP whom they had labelled as corrupt?”

Thackeray did not even spare Prime Minister Narendra Modi from his attacks. “All the patriotic parties which have faith in our country and the constitution met in Bengaluru under the concept of INDIA. The same day, Modi held a meeting of 36 parties under the banner of NDA. After a long time, it was revealed that an amoeba called NDA was alive. Actually, in BJP’s NDA there are only three parties - ED, CBI and IT department.”

Expressing anger over the Manipur situation, Thackeray said why women were suffering when the governor of that state and the President of India are women. “We call our nation ‘Bharat Mata’ and I request the President of India to look into the problem in Manipur.”

He added, “Manipur is the second state after Kashmir which is burning, and the Central government has failed to resolve the problem. We supported the removal of Article 370, but the Kashmir problem is far from over. There are no elections in Kashmir. That’s why I fear that if the BJP government returned to power in 2024 there would be no elections in the country in future.”

In such a situation, the former CM said, people should vote responsibly as their future is at stake.

Thackeray also dared BJP, which is talking about a Uniform Civil Code, to first ban beef across the country and act against all corrupt people irrespective of the political party they are affiliated to.